6 health benefits of coffee consumption

posted by stevewatson77April 11, 20164 Comments

There are often misconceptions when it comes to coffee and many people deem it to be an unhealthy habit – this is not the case and there are actually many benefits of drinking a daily cup of joe. Before discussing the benefits, it’s worth noting that by coffee I am referring simply to ground beans and hot water, as there are many additives that can turn this from being a healthy drink to a very unhealthy one, such as syrup and cream; a quick way to gain unsightly weight is by drinking your calories!

Aids weight loss

Coffee is good for inducing weight loss for 2 reasons. Firstly, coffee acts as an appetite suppressant, this is because it increases the hormone peptide YY, which helps suppress appetite. Further to this coffee also increases the secretion of adrenaline, which in turn up regulates the body’s central nervous system, thus leading to increased metabolism and aids weight loss.

Improved cognitive function

The caffeine in coffee leads to numerous cognitive benefits. This is because once the caffeine enters the brain it blocks a neurotransmitter inhibitor called adenosine, this allows neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine to increase, which enhances brain function leading to improved mood, increased energy levels and improved reaction time.

Increased strength and physical performance

The high amounts of caffeine in coffee stimulate an increase in adrenaline levels, this leads to a heightened oxygen uptake by the muscle and ultimately improved muscular performance. This makes a strong black coffee the ideal pre-workout choice!

High amounts of antioxidants

Free radicals can build up in the body and cause oxidative stress to the body’s cells, this can lead to numerous health conditions, including cancer. Coffee contains high amounts of antioxidants, namely isoeugenol, eugenol and gamma-tocopherol. These antioxidants help to relieve oxidative stress that can build up and cause cellular damage.

Cardiovascular benefits

With fatalities cause by cardiovascular disease ever on the increase, any day-to-day measures one can take to aid preventing this being the case is a bonus. A recent Japanese study identified 1 to 2 cups of coffee as having the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 38%.

Reduced risk of diabetes

Another disease on the increase is type II diabetes: when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin or the cells become desensitized to insulin. A Harvard study, monitoring a sample size of 40,000 found that individuals who regularly consumed coffee (excluding sugar) were are less susceptible to developing diabetes.

6 health benefits of coffee consumption was last modified: April 11th, 2016 by stevewatson77

[…] the inclusion of food and calories. Something else I’ve found has helped is consuming black coffee, this for me personally is a fantastic appetite suppressant and it provides that boost when/if your […]

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